1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for assaying the concentration of antigen or antibody in a sample by an immunoassay technique. More particularly, the present invention relates to automated immunoassay techniques for measuring antigen or antibody concentration via selective antibody-antigen reactions, under conditions which permit extremely rapid analysis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In U.S. application Ser. No. 666,302, filed Mar. 12, 1976 (now allowed), applicants disclosed and claimed a technique and apparatus for radioimmunoassay of antigens wherein the antigen containing solution was admixed with a solution of a known concentration of an antigen tagged with a radioactive isotope and a solution of a known titer of an antibody reactable with said antigen. Further consideration of the apparatus and technique has now led to the understanding of its applicability for the assay of antibodies as well. Moreover, it is now understood that by modifying the originally disclosed apparatus and process, good results can be attained either by radioactive tagging of the antigen or antibody, or by tagging the antigen or antibody with one of a multiplicity of suitable tagging agents, such as ultraviolet, visible or infrared absorbing compounds, radio-opaque dyes, enzymes, proteins, fluorescent, luminescent or radioluminescent compounds, other antibodies or other antigens, etc. Moreover, it is now understood that the technique of making the first measurement which activates the timing mechanisms and which, thereby, activates the control mechanism for the process, need not be a radioactivity sensor but can be any of a multitude of suitable detection techniques.
It is the purpose of the present disclosure to discuss these important improvements to the original system.